Chat With AIM Users From Gmail — After introducing colored labels earlier this week, Google now seems to be rolling out a web-based client for AOL Instant Messenger chatting as part of Gmail. You will still need an AIM account, as Google Talk and AOL are not joining forces, but Google is merely using the Open AIM framework.

Gmail + chat + AIM = crazy delicious — I was pretty excited when we launched chat integration in Gmail. Finally I could chat and email in one place—but I couldn't chat with friends using other instant messaging services. — From the beginning, Google has been committed to open standards and interoperation for instant messaging.

LA Times invests in Mixx, integrates social news site — The Los Angeles Times has partnered with Mixx, a social news website, to give readers more input in the news they read. — The publication has also said it will start using technology from Aggregrate Knowledge, a Silicon Valley company …

'Kill switch' dropped from Vista — Microsoft is to withdraw an anti-piracy tool from Windows Vista, which disables the operating system when invoked, following customer complaints. — The so-called "kill switch" is designed to prevent users with illegal copies of Vista from using certain features.

With SP1, Microsoft plans to ditch the Vista "kill switch" — The case for Windows Vista Service Pack 1 just got a lot stronger. — When SP1 ships sometime in early 2008, it will strip away one of Vista's most annoying features and remove one of the most persistent objections to Vista's adoption.

RIP Facebook? — A lot of people say that Facebook has jumped the shark. That's flat out wrong. In fact, Facebook is now being devoured by the shark. There's so much blood in the water, it's attracting other sharks. And if Facebook's not careful, one of them is bound to come along and finish it off.

Google Announces Fastest Growing Search Terms — Yesterday Yahoo announced its top search trends for 2007. Google's list traditionally come later in December (here's last years list), but today VP of Search and User Experience Marissa Mayer revealed the "fastest rising U.S. search terms" on the Today Show.

A preview of online HD — While we love the convenience of watching our favorite shows on the web anytime we want, we also love the stunning resolution, true colors, and widescreen landscapes of high definition video on an HDTV. We're video geeks at heart.

Google's Infrastructure is its Strategic Advantage — Back in the day, when PC stocks were kings on Wall Street, a pesky college kid named Michael Dell figured out that he could do an end run around the then-established PC makers by developing a smarter way of making and selling boxes.

Secret mailing list rocks Wikipedia — The Register Desktop Support Seminar . Live & Online 11th December (10am PST) — On the surface, all is well in Wikiland. Just last week, a headline from The San Francisco Chronicle told the world that "Wikipedia's Future Is Still Looking Up," …

Social-networking company Visible Path to be acquired — While rumors swirl about acquisitions of popular social-networking sites, one deal has already happened: Visible Path, which makes social-networking tools for business users, is set to be acquired. — A company representative …

European GPS Rival Gets Go-Ahead — The European initiative to build a system of satellites rivaling the U.S. GPS system, dubbed 'Galileo,' is finally moving forward. — Recommend this story? — The European initiative to build a system of satellites to rival the U.S. GPS system, has finally been given the go-ahead.